The Energy Equity Project

From the Urban Energy Justice Lab at University of Michigan’s School for Environment & Sustainability. At a moment when climate action and clean energy programs are expanding rapidly, it is imperative that access to the benefits of these programs are distributed equitably, particularly for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and frontline communities historically overburdened by the costs and pollution of our energy system. Historically, the energy sector echoes racial and class disparities in housing, education, and economic development. Despite the semblance of uniform utility rates and ubiquitous service, the negative outcomes of power shut-offs and cost burdens— and the positive benefits of weatherization, retrofits, and renewable energy— are not evenly distributed.

The Energy Equity Project will create a framework for measuring equity across energy efficiency and clean energy programs among utilities, state regulatory agencies, and other practitioners, while engaging and centering BIPOC and frontline communities. An equity measurement framework, launching in beta form in 2022, will serve environmental and climate justice advocates, practitioners, regulatory agencies, and utilities to drive more equitable investments and outcomes in energy efficiency, distributed generation and storage (i.e. solar + batteries), demand response, electrification, and electric vehicle infrastructure.